RAVENS. 225 



to the nest, till a darker plumage had shown itself. 

 And to this belief commentators suppose the Psalmist 

 alludes, when he says, He giveth to the beast his 

 food, and to the young ravens which cry. (Psalm 

 cxLvii. 9.) And again, in Job, Who provideth for 

 the raven his food ? When his young ones cry unto 

 God, they wander for lack of meat. (Job xxxviii. 41.) 



But we do not believe this want of feeling to be 

 peculiar to Ravens; on the contrary, in an aviary 

 where several Canaries build annually, instances re- 

 peatedly occur, of young birds falling out of the nest, 

 when, if they are of very tender age, the old ones 

 seem to show no uneasiness whatever; hopping or 

 flying over them with the greatest unconcern, though 

 the poor naked birds may be struggling for life. 



We have yet, indeed, much to learn respecting 

 the real extent and quality of the affection of animals 

 for their young ; for in the case of Canaries, we have 

 known, if wet or cold weather chanced to continue 

 for a day or two, not only nests containing eggs, but 

 others, with nearly full-fledged nestlings, requiring 

 all a mother's care, to be at once abandoned, and 

 left to perish by cold or hunger. 



On the 2nd of June, 1833, a Canary-bird, in an 

 aviary, was unexpectedly drenched, having built her 

 nest, during dry weather, in a spot exposed to rain, 

 which fell in a heavy shower on that day. On the 

 following day, she accordingly quitted her nest, and 

 appeared so unwell, that it was deemed expedient to 

 remove her into a small cage, and place her in a 

 warmer situation. But to our great surprise, a Gold- 

 finch, which hadbeen in confinement with the Canary- 

 birds for three or four years, without paying any 



VOL. i. Q 



